


Forgetting Is A Piercing Wound

by hellvetica



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 04:01:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellvetica/pseuds/hellvetica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set sometime in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgetting Is A Piercing Wound

The cottages were nestled snuggly among the trees back away from the main drive. Their design and landscaping gave them a resort-like appearance. The gardens were lush and bordered by privacy fences of red brick. The ornamental iron gates were remotely activated. It had taken John a while to find this place and now that he had, he was pleased with the facilities. The security would slow down any potential intruders but its real design was to deter the residents from leaving. John pulled up in front of the cottage with the roses growing out front and parked in his normal parking slot. Sitting for a moment to steel himself for what lay ahead; he took a deep breath and then reached for the large object in the passenger seat. He grunted lightly with the effort of picking up the large leather bound book. Hoisting it up and under his arm, he struggled to regain his balance and exit the car. The sun glinted off his silver hair and reflected a shadow still lean and military in bearing. He walked with the grace of an aging athlete. His expression was still alert, looking around, taking it all in, cataloging each vehicle in the parking lot from habit. It had been years since anyone had shot at him.

“Oh, good. You brought it,” exclaimed Jan, the briskly moving woman who met him at the door and took the book from his hands. “I think this is really going to help. Wow, you certainly did find a lot of pictures,” grimaced Jan as she took the oversized photo album from his hands and hoisted it to her ample chest. “Usually families just bring in a handful. You must have been a photographer.”

The tall man just smiled. “No, these are all Harold’s. He was a genius at finding pictures to take. He could pull them out of thin air.”

The two started walking down the hall toward the room at the end. “How long have the two of you been together?” queried Jan.

A moistness enveloped the man’s blue eyes for a moment as he did the mental math. “We had almost 20 good years.” He whispered more to himself than to Jan.

“Wow. I didn’t have near that much time.”

“Did your husband die young or something?”

“Something! I caught the bastard with a younger woman and kicked his ass out. Last I heard he was out West with a house full of kids he can’t support and his young girlfriend isn’t so young anymore.” She chuckled as if pleased with karma. “Harold's Father suffered from dementia, didn’t he? It’s a terrible disease that seems to run in families. Those who have a parent, brother, sister or child with Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop the disease. It must have been terrible living his life wondering if it was going to happen to him. He is lucky to have you.”

“No, I am lucky to have him.”

“He’s having a good day today. Maybe looking at the pictures will help.” She pushed aside the door and ushered John into the room. The frail man was sitting in the chair looking out over the manicured lawn at the birds nesting in the nearby tree.

“John, you came.” His voice quivered with excitement but he was looking past John into the hall as if he was expecting someone else. “You didn’t bring Bear?” The disappointment was strong in his voice.

“No, Harold, he’s with a friend,” John smoothly presented a practiced lie.

The older man's face fell for a moment, but then lit with a shy smile as if remembering. “I hope it is Det. Carter. He likes her.”

“Harold, I brought a photo album for us to look at. I thought you might enjoy seeing pictures of places and friends.”

Jan smiled and tiptoed out of the room leaving the two men pouring over the album.

“Look, Harold, it’s you and Nathan when you were young and at MIT together. Do you remember Nathan? And look Harold, here’s a picture of our old friend Lionel. Remember him? He retired and lives near his son Lee now. He spends his days playing with his grandkids. Did you know Lee named one of them after you? They call him Harry. He’s a real handful from what I hear. Takes after his grandfather. And this is a picture of that old library you owned. The city finally condemned it and tore it down. We sure spent a lot of time there. Do you remember? Here is the park where we took Bear for walks.”

A flicker of interest momentarily replaced the blank look behind the heavy lens that framed the small man’s grey eyes. “Do you have any pictures of Grace? She was so pretty and she liked the park.”

“Sure, Harold, sure.” The two heads bowed over the pictures once more and the sound of giggling and the occasional deep rumble of laughter could be heard coming from the room.

Jan lightly tapping at the door signaled to John that it was time to leave. Closing the album, John stood next to Harold in the warm sunlight looking out onto the garden. Wrapping his arms around the small frame that was Harold, he sought to give him a hug.

“John! John! What are you doing? Harold fought to extricate himself from John’s embrace. We don’t want to give people the wrong idea, nodding in the direction of Jan standing the door. People might think I am gay! I’m not gay! I have a fiancée! Her name is Grace. Where is Grace? Do you think she will be here today?”

Jan calmed Harold and led the stricken John down the hall toward the exit. “It’s the latest memories that go first. That is why he can remember Grace but not you. He’s very lucky to have you,” repeating her mantra.

“No, I’m lucky to have him,” whispered John to no one in particular.

**Author's Note:**

> I am basically a happy person and only write happy, but this ugly fic came out of nowhere and refused to go away. Maybe if I post it, it will leave.


End file.
